Eli Roosevelt
| last seen = | appearances = 29 episodes (see below) }} Lieutenant Eli Roosevelt was the head of the San Joaquin County Sheriff Department, Charming-Morada Sub-Station on the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Played by American actor Rockmond Dunbar, Eli makes his debut on the episode in the series' fourth season. Playing a recurring role through the series' fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons, Eli appeared as a primary antagonist in Season 4, a secondary antagonist in Season 5 and a supporting character in Season 6. He met his demise in the Season 6 episode . Personality Roosevelt was well known for his history and success with neutralizing several gangs during his career as a police officer, a fact which Lincoln Potter liked and respected Roosevelt for. Roosevelt's behavior as a police officer seemed to resemble that of former Charming deputy David Hale. Much like Hale, Roosevelt was also a by-the-book police officer who seemed to despise SAMCRO, but would occasionally work with Jax Teller for a common goal. Both men also aligned themselves with another threat to the club, no matter what the cost (such as Roosevelt blackmailing Juice under orders from Lincoln, and Hale working with Ethan Zobelle, the head of L.O.A.N.). Biography Background A former Marine, Eli spent the last 15 years neutralizing gangs with a gang unit in Oakland, California before coming to Charming with his wife Rita. He was originally from Queens, New York City. Season 4 When the imprisoned SAMCRO members leave the penitentiary after their 14 month stay, and are welcomed home by Roosevelt. He forbids any paroled members from wearing clubs cuts, declaring them to be a form of gang. He is recruited by into AUSA Potter's task force to help bring down the gun- running operation. He's known to be an un-corruptible officer & has a strong feeling sense of moral justice. He grows exponentially disgusted at Lincoln Potter's sadistic & manipulative ways to corner Sons of Anarchy, mostly Juice for whom he slowly grows to care. In the season 4 finale he gives Juice the intel folder on his black father, stating that he wanted to give Juice "the satisfaction of ripping it up." Juice asks him why, to which Roosevelt replies, "Because you're a criminal. You do bad shit. I'm a cop. I stop you. I just want to get back to that." Season 5 Sheriff Eli Roosevelt checks in with the club, asking about the running down of Veronica Pope. The first home invasion was Lynette Brice, A club groupie, this morning Wade Steiner was an attacked. He's a mechanic at the garage. Roosevelt suggests it's retaliation, but Tig says they don't know any of the beefs. Roosevelt quickly tells his former snitch Juice he expects to hear more about the retaliation. Unser visits Roosevelt at the station. He wondering if there's a non club connection. The retaliation felt "more white to him". The beat down was obligatory, not angry." At the clubhouse Jax confesses with Bobby, telling him to keep an eye on Clay & keep him broken. The Sheriff's deputies come for the guys Jax hugs his wife, then his mother. Opie rolls up as the guys are put in cuffs. He gets off his bike & decks Sheriff Roosevelt & a deputy too. They quickly cuff him too. Sheriff Eli Roosevelt has lunch with his wife Rita in his office, basking in the glow of her new pregnancy. Gemma looks into the Polaroid but none of it's hers. Roosevelt has to rush off when the suspects start fighting his deputy. Back in Charming P.D. Roosevelt tells Clay that the black suspects apartments were packed with stolen goods. In the bedroom of Rita Roosevelt she wakes up late at night when she hears a noise. She grabs a gun & dials 911. As she's on the phone a masked man kicks in her door. She fires but misses. She runs but another masked man runs in. Someone fires & she ends up shot in the stomach. The masked intruders run. She is wheeled into surgery with Eli at her side. He asks a nurse for the skin underneath her fingernails, thinking of the job holding back tears. Unser visits Sheriff Roosevelt in the hospital waiting area. He sent the DNA Rita got to the lab, Roosevelt's on a 10 day mandatory leave, but he's not stepping away from the case. He thinks it's the black gang, but Unser dosen't think Pope would sign on hitting a Sheriff. Unser agrees that only leaves the Club. The doctor comes for Roosevelt, he goes to see his wife & gets an apology from the nurse. He fights off tears as Rita has died along with the unborn baby. On the road Eli Roosevelt pulls up along side the Club, telling them to pull over. When they don't he runs Bobby off the road. Eli comes out swinging, but Jax breaks it up. He tells Eli he's sorry about Rita & wants to find out whi's behind the attacks. "I'm gonna crush your Club." Eli says. To get his attention, Jax tells Eli he just sat down with Pope, who says he isn't behind the attacks. "we've reached an understanding. One that stops getting people killed. Why don't we consider the same thing? Help each other find these scumbags that are shitting in our town." Jax says. "I can't imagine how much pain you are in right now, but we aren't the cause. Please let me now if I can help & don't do this again". Jax says. Clay sees Roosevelt & says the club owes him an apology. Roosevelt demands to see Juice. He wants information of Frankie, but Juice has none. "You're going to get me killed," Juice says. "That concern left me when I watched my wife die," Roosevelt says. Jax goes to talk to Roosevelt, when he pulls up. He asks about Jax's kids. He tells Jax his wife was pregnant. The DNA under her fingernails was inconclusive. He asks about the RICO case against the club & doesn't buy it when Jax plays dumb. Roosevelt tells Jax the Feds had another source. He knows the club will find Frankie before he does. If they turn him over, he'll give Jax "the rat at your table." In the middle of the night Jax meets Roosevelt in the middle of the woods. He insists on patting Jax down. He finds a stack of cash that Jax says if for Frankie, who's in the back of the van. Roosevelt is angry to see he's already dead. Jax assures him he didn't kill him. Roosevelt doesn't want to tell him who the rat is & be responsible for another dead body. Jax tells him it's too late & goes through the suspects. He knows it's not loyal Tig, Chibbs, Happy or Bobby. The prospects don't know enough & Clay has nothing to gain. That leads to one guy who tried to hang himself a few months back, Juice, Roosevelt says Juice had no choice, but Jax says they always do. Juice is bought into Roosevelt's station. Roosevelt immediately tells Juice that Jax knows he's the rat & he has to get out of town. He explains Jax figured it out himself & apologizes. Juice leaves without saying anything. Roosevelt sits in his jeep outside Jax's house. He doesn't understand how Juice is still untouched. Jax tells Roosevelt he'll deal with Juice. Roosevelt asks what's going to happen to Clay. "I'm open to suggestions," Jax says. In the season finale Sheriff Roosevelt gets a tip about a homicide at the warehouse, telling him he would want to find the body. They find Pope. Jax calls Roosevelt. "How's your day?" he asks. "Did you do this?" Roosevelt Replies. "Just working toward the common goal," Jax says, & directs him to a nearby vent overlooking the site & says you're welcome. Roosevelt finds the murder weapon. Later on Roosevelt shows up at T-M with Clay's silver, 45 ACP pistol in an evidence bag. He tells him it was used to kill Pope & three of his associates. He asks for Clay's alibi. Clay says Gemma can confirm it. Gemma says nothing for a long time. "He went out for a few hours, took the gun. Said he had to settle up some accounts before he left, "I didn't think he would kill anyone". She says. Roosevelt then arrests Clay. Roosevelt then shows up at Jax's door. He's good with Jax, he's there for Tara, conspiracy to commit murder for the death of Pamela Toric. She's under arrest. They take her away. Season 6 In the sixth season, it appears that Roosevelt is on good terms with the Sons as he stops heckling Juice for information (possibly because justice was served against Clay, who was responsible for the home invasions that resulted in his wife's death). Roosevelt helps DA Tyne Patterson out in her investigation of the KG9 that resulted in the school shooting. Roosevelt is also wary of Lee Toric, and begins investigating him after Nero is arrested for the murder of one of his escorts, and helps clear Nero of the murder charge when DNA evidence from Toric's hotel room confirms he was the murderer. In the season finale, Roosevelt escorts Tara to her house for the meeting with Patterson. As he waits outside, Juice shows up and tells him that Gemma took Unser's truck before noises are heard inside. Roosevelt comes inside and sees Tara's lifeless body with Gemma sitting on the floor, crying, muttering that it had to be done because Tara had betrayed Jax. A saddened Roosevelt tells Gemma that Tara never snitched on the MC and that Jax gave himself up to protect her. Before he can report the murder, Juice shoots him twice in the back, killing him. Gallery Images Trading Cards Autograph Cards Card-ARD S4-5.jpg|ARD S4-5 - Rockmond Dunbar as Eli Roosevelt Card-ARD S6-7.jpg|ARD S6-7 - Rockmond Dunbar as Eli Roosevelt Appearances Category:Characters Category:Law Enforcement Category:Recurring characters Category:Deceased Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Season 5 Characters Category:Season 6 Characters Category:Antagonists Category:SAMCRO Associates Category:Killed by Juice Ortiz